President John Mahama says Ghana remains committed to strengthening its longstanding friendship and bilateral relations with South Africa despite the postponement of the third session of the countries’ Bi-National Commission (BNC).
He says the postponement was due to prevailing challenges affecting people-to-people relations between the two countries.
He made the comments while receiving Letters of Credence from South Africa’s new High Commissioner to Ghana, Ms Linda Vuyolwethu Shongwe, and ten other envoys on November 11 in Accra.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to multilateralism and global peace:
“As a peace-loving member of the United Nations, Ghana is committed to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the Organization and its objectives for international peace, prosperity and the dignity of all people, and a commitment to a more just and equitable international order.”
He urged the new envoys to work to deepen cooperation with Ghana:
“I encourage your full and active engagement to identify and develop new areas of meaningful cooperation that would positively affect the lives of our two peoples.”
Turning specifically to South Africa’s new High Commissioner, President Mahama said:
“To High Commissioner Linda Vuyolwethu Shongwe of the Republic of South Africa, I warmly welcome you to Ghana and reaffirm our commitment to the strong partnership built with your country, which is anchored on long-standing friendly relations and dates to the era of the fight against apartheid.”
He also congratulated South Africa on its recent leadership role on the global stage:
“I congratulate you on the successful conclusion of your G20 presidency and on your efforts in advocating for Africa’s priorities on the international stage.”
President Mahama noted that officials from both countries had already met virtually earlier this year to review progress on earlier agreements:
“I acknowledge the holding of a virtual senior officials meeting in the first quarter of 2026 between Ghana and South Africa, which discussed the status of implementation of the agreed minutes of the second Bi-National Commission.”
On the postponed third session of the BNC, he said:
“The third session of the BNC was postponed due to the prevailing challenges affecting our people-to-people relations. However, in the interest of our long-standing bonds of friendship and solidarity, Ghana is committed to further enhancing bilateral relations between our two countries.”
